Hunting with .62 Cal?

[Ron LaClair]

I have a couple .54's and there's no question that caliber is a good deer killer, but... when I go meat hunting the .62 rifle is my favorite choice. My deer load is 110gr 2FF behind a .610prb. With that load it's either BANG-FLOP or a short blood trail that a blind man could follow.

This early season doe dropped in her tracks after being shot from 80yd's with the big .62

I currently plan on having another rifle built in Bucks County style, 42" swamped barrel .62caliber. :2
You may have noticed my age, in March I'll be 82 years old. The key to a long life is stay active and be happy ....happiness is a new gun :grin:

 

[Sootburner]

Thank you all for your impute. Being new to this site, I'm quickly learning there is much to learn from all of our experiences.

I liked my 54 percussion hawken and how the 54 caliber performed. I've since passed that rifle onto a friend and now hunt with a .54 GPR Flintlock of which, I really enjoy.

What I'm after is a semi-custom/custom built rifle that is somewhat unique and in a caliber that I can hunt the larger species of North America. I still haven't settled on a caliber, however already having a .54, I thought something different might be in order I don't know I thought about a .58 but figured that was to close to the .54. Something in the .40 to .45 seems very interesting also, I'd just use the .54 for anything larger than deer and for those that have teeth.

Anyhow I do appreciate your stories and your suggestions. It appears I've got some more reading and research to do. After all, isn't the research part of the fun :hmm:

Thanks

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

You may have noticed my age, in March I'll be 82 years old. The key to a long life is stay active and be happy ....happiness is a new gun :grin:

Really enjoyed the pictures and stories! No surprise there, as I have also enjoyed reading about you and your writings for years in traditional archery periodicals.

You’re doing something right! Keep at it! Now WHO lives better than you :thumbsup: !

 

[Sootburner]

I certainly agree with Flint62Smoothie. Thank you for sharing your photos, story and your experience. :applause:

 

[Sparkitoff]

I use a .62 double barrel smoothbore for my close-range hog hunting. Since it has choke, it actually uses a .626 ball in the right barrel and a .610 ball in the left barrel. They weigh 338.8 and 330.3 respectfully. The balls obtain 1488 fps average. With 70 grains of FFFg (that's what it likes) and a overpowder card, felt wad, ball and over ball card the shots will figure 8 on the bullseye every time at 25 yards, with the left barrel being the bottom hole on paper. At 50 yards, the right barrel will stay on a 8" target all day but the left one is not capable of 50 yard reliability.

I use this primarily on hogs out of my ground blind. The large balls leave a lot of blood coming from those those pigs that actually go anywhere. The ability to shoot twice is favorable. I've shot deer with this gun with the same close range limitation.

At the ranges I am using it, the balls hit hard and break bone easy. However, it don't find it does anything more than my .54 with heavy conicals (535 grain). The .62's make a heavy "whack" sound upon impact that is reassuring on a psychological level. Compared to a .54 conical, there is little advantage because the .62 balls weigh less. Compared to the .50 and .54 balls in my experience, the .62's have something to offer being larger diameter and heavier. I guess it all depends on how you're going to use it and what projectiles you choose.

 

[excess650]

I have both .58 and .62 rocklocks, and have taken deer with both. If you think the .58 is too close to the .54, by all means, go directly to the .62. Mine has the 28-1/2" Colerain 1-66" barrel, and seems to shoot just as well with 100gr fffg as it does with 120gr. At 7-1/2#, 140gr starts getting obnoxious, and simply isn't needed.

This big bodied WT (46"+ chest girth) was taken with 100gr fffg, .605" hardened RB in .025" cotton duck patch. The slight bulge in the R shoulder just beyond the bag is the ball under the hide.


This is what a hardened .605" RB over 100gr fffg looks like after shooting through both shoulders of a 300# WT at about 25 yards. 7/8" x 15/16" and no lost weight (326gr).

 

[hanshi]

My .54 is a percussion rifle and I like the caliber a lot. For .62 caliber I have a TVM flintlock smoothbore with a 38" barrel. I especially like this gun. With a .600" patched lead ball it is a deer's worst nightmare. This flintlock makes excellent groups at 50 - 60 yards with 70 grains of 3F. Both have killed deer and I'm using the smoothbore more and more.

 

[Sootburner]

Excess650,

Thanks for sharing. That sure is a good looking rifle and equally impressive white tail.

Did you by chance measure the expanded width of that rb? And you used the term hardened round ball, what is the purpose of that? Is it for penetration? Is it an accuracy thing? Just curious.

 

[Ron LaClair]

The business end of my .62

 

[BrownBear]

I don't know I thought about a .58 but figured that was to close to the .54.

Your instinct lines up pretty well with my experience. I don't notice a heck of a lot of difference when making single-caliber jumps. But when you skip a caliber going up the scale, the difference seems huge. Only "down" side if there is one, I basically quit shooting my 54's when I got into 58's. I shoot the 50 a lot and the 58 a lot, but the 54's have been kinda orphaned. When I want more than the 50, I grab a 58. When I want less than a 58, I grab the 50. By the same token, I often just stick with the 58 rather than grabbing a 62. For my hunting the flatter trajectory of the 58 over the 62 is the bigger reason. If I didn't have the 58, of course I'd go right to the 62 for more power rather than pulling out a 54.

Long term solution? Getemall! :rotf:

 

[excess650]

My soft lead isn't pure, and shows about 9bhn on a hardness tester. Obviously, it does expand as shown it went from .605" to 7/8" x 15/16" without shedding weight.

I shot another, considerably smaller WT at 125+ yards (steep downhill)and the recovered ball was round enough to load again. It entered between the shoulder blade and spine and dropped out on the floor when pulling the hide down off the brisket. Obviously, the loss of velocity accounted for the lack of expansion.

The .62 is definitely a big hammer, but the .58 also works well. It shoots a bit flatter and with less recoil.

 

[Dr5x]

What game requires a .62 ball to bring it down?
Have many people brought down that particular animal with a lesser caliber?
The purple Buick comes to mind.
I'm not cricicinng the use of the heavier calibers, I I am just curious about the thinking behind the decision to use such a large ball.

An interesting type of hunting a neighbor engages in by going back to his roots in Texas and in conjunction with brothersand other relatives goes out on the plains of that great state like a 4 wheeleled B=17 and spend the day from the year of a pick up shooting at the Go[hers that present a problem in that area

I've seen pictures of pyramids of deceased wild pigs collected on similar hunts for these pigs that apparently are not good eating but which raise hell with farm crops.

I can imagine if you were the target of an out sized wild boat a .63 caliber ball might seem barely adequate./

Dutch Schoultz

 

[Spikebuck]

What game requires a .62 ball to bring it down?

Not sure if you're directing that question at me in particular, or just anyone that wants to answer, because in my post I did not advocate for a .62 as a need on deer-sized game. In fact, I said my .62 is just sitting in my gun safe unused since it didn't do anything more than my .54.

That said...if I had to make a choice between being potentially undergunned or being overgunned, I know which way I'd go. You cannot OVERKILL an animal. Well, maybe if you shoot a 6# cannon ball at them! :wink: :grin:

I did dispute the statement that implies that larger calibers are inherently less accurate than smaller calibers on deer. I'd like to see the scientific data supporting that claim.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I did dispute the statement that implies that larger calibers are inherently less accurate than smaller calibers on deer.

I’d agree with you! I can envision where they could take a little more load OR shooter (recoil management, weigh of the rifle, etc.) development to make them as accurate, but that’s about it.

 

[Dr5x]

YOU MUST BEAR WITH ME ASI DID NOT PICK UP YOUR DISCLAIMER.


I HAVE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE CICIL WAR MINIE BALL THAT IS A BIT SMALLER THAN YOUR .62. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE FOR THAT CALIBER MIGHT BE A GRIZZLY, ANY OUTRAGED MOMMA BEAR OR THE BOAR WITH ATTITUDE.

WHEN I WASON OMAHA BEACH (1998)WHICH IS NOW HEAVILY AHRUBBED OR BUSHED, THERE WERE SIGNS WARNING AGAINST THE WILD BOAR THAT ROAM THAT AREA.. ON THE PATHWAY DOWN TO THE SHORE AND BACK YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE BOAR HAD TUNNELED INTO THE SHRUBBERY ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER ANDGOT AN IDEA OF THEIRSIZE ES WHICH WERE ABOUT 18 - 20 INCHES ACROSS AT THE WIDEST..


I EXPECTYOUR CHOICE WOULD BE TO BE OVER GUNNED.

A .62 WOULD PROBABLY VAPORIZE ABUNNY.


I AGREE WITH YOU THAT ACCURACY DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY DECLINE AS THE CALIBERS GET HIGHER.
I'VE NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY IT WAS EASIER TO ACHIEVE ACCURACY WITH THE LARGER CALIBERS, THE SMALLER PROJECTILES BEING A TAD MY PICKY TODESL WITH..

THAT'S MORE OF A GUESS BASED ON A POSSIBLY FAWLTY REMINISCENCE AND HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO ANY TEST.


THERE'S ALSO THE STORY OFBIG BERTHA THE GERMANSFIREDATTHE CITY OF PARIS AND MISSED BECAUSE THEY FORGOT TO FIURE HOW MUCH THEEARTH TURNED WHILE THEPROJECTILE WASIN THE AIR.


DUTCH SCHOULTZ

 

[Black Hand]

I shall take your advice sir! Hope nothing is wrong with it.

Did you have a chance to test your lock out of the gun?

 

[hanshi]

I might as well admit that while I really like my smoothbore, it's not just the caliber but rather the gun. I seriously like and trust that gun. But I've killed more deer with .45s than with any other caliber. I could limit myself to a .45 and be quite satisfied. They were all one shot kills and never lost one with the .440"/.445" balls.. But I do like the way that .62 pins them to the ground.

 

[Phillip McDonald]

No sir. Not yet still on night shift.12 1/2 hour shifts with an hour drive to then from. Get off in the morning and I'll be off till Monday morning. Hope to try it this weekend. I need to set up where I can post pictures here and start a topic on it. Several things I'm curious about You'll could prolly help me with.

 

[Brokennock]

Sometimes some of us aren't choosing the caliber for the sake of that particular caliber but that certain calibers just seem to be more appropriate for certain guns. One wouldn't buy a .45 caliber Brown Bess, and with the thin butt plate and long thin architecture I would think a .62 or larger caliber southern mountain gun would be miserable to shoot, and not look quite right with that barrel. Jaeger rifles and early German influenced rifles tended to be of larger caliber and the architecture of them goes with that. Sometimes the time period one is interested in, and local game laws converge to influence the decision. I don't "need" a .62 caliber gun to kill a deer, but, various smoothbore .62 caliber/20 gauge guns fit the 1760's to 1790's time period and Northern Pennsylvania to New England area, that I'm interested in. Combine that with a state dictated minimum caliber of .45 for deer, .36 caliber round ball maximum for small game, 20 gauge minimum gauge for deer and turkey, and the allowance of that same 20 gauge smoothbore to be loaded with shot for small game,,,,, well, a .62 caliber/20 gauge or larger fowler, trade gun, or smooth rifle fills a lot of roles.

 

[Spikebuck]

Very well said! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: